‘Big Bitcoin Heist’: 2 held over stolen computers in Iceland

Eleven people were arrested, including a security guard as part of what Icelandic media have dubbed the ‘Big Bitcoin Heist’. Photo: Reuters

Reykjavik, Iceland: Some 600 computers used to “mine” bitcoin and other virtual currencies were stolen from data centers in Iceland in what police say is the biggest series of thefts ever in the North Atlantic nation.

Eleven people were arrested, including a security guard as part of what Icelandic media have dubbed the “Big Bitcoin Heist”. A judge at the Reykjanes district court on Friday ordered two people to remain in custody.

The powerful computers are worth almost $2 million. But if the stolen equipment is used for its original purpose, to create new bitcoins, the thieves could turn a massive profit in an untraceable currency without ever selling the items. Bitcoin is a kind of digital money that isn’t tied to a bank or a government.